Device for use in teaching music



(No Model.)

A. O. BALDWIN.

DEVICE FOR USE IN TEACHING MUSIC.

N0. 435,131. Patented-Aug. 26, 1890.

Wjmsses: 6% 7 )2 f%/ V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARVIDE O. BALDWIN, OF BELLEVILLE, KANSAS.

DEVICE FOR USE'IN TEACHING MUSIC.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 435,131, dated August 26, 1890. Application filed October 28,1889. Serialllo. 328,494. mam

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARvIDE O. BALDWIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Belleville, in the county of Republic, State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Mechanical Musical Instructing-Instrument, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in a musical instructing-instrument in which two horizontal bars, with end blocks for supports and peculiarly-shaped pieces of metal, tinted and numbered from 1- to '7, and with designated musical keys on a plate, and with a false key-board, operate.

The objects of my improvements are, first, to make an instrument of wood or wood and metal that will reach from one end of an organ or piano entirely across the key-board and rest upon the key-board, end blocks, thereby not interfering with the free use of the keys by a performer; second, to provide peculiarlyshaped pieces of metal, tinted, to fasten to the upper horizontal bar the proper distance apart to indicate quickly the right notes in different keys in music; third, to fasten a keyindicating plate to the carrying-bar over the center of the organ or piano, thereby bringing it directly in front of the performer fourth, to attach a false key-board to the bot tom of the carrying-bar, so that the use of the black keys of an organ or piano can be readily and quickly taught without the use of either and more readily assist the performer in striking the right notes, as indicated by the instructor notes, the whole, when completed, to form a mechanical instrument for simplifying the instruction of music upon musical instruments constructed with octaves of keys representing musical notes, such as pianosand organs.

1 attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- A represents the carrying-bar, made of wood or metal, extending across the organ or piano key-board and resting on the end blocks 0 C, to which it is fastened rigidly with screws H H.

I I are slots cut in the carrying-bar for the purpose of allowing the screws to work loosely.

D is a false key-board, of metal, painted to represent the keyboard of an ordinary piano or organ, locating the black keys with exactness. It is fastened to the under side of the carrying-bar with nails or otherwise.

B is the octave-bar, which is constructed of wood or metal, to which are attached the pieces of metal indicated by F, and it is held loosely to A by the screws G G, which are rigid in this bar and allow it to move horizontally on the carrying-bar A.

F indicates the peculiarly-shapel metals that are fastened to B by small nails or rivets. They represent the different musical notes in an octave, and are of three designs, indicating different harmonies. They are colored in three shades or tints, also representing the three harmonies. The tonic in music is represented by oval pieces of metal, colored red. The dominant is indicated by oblong squares, tinted pink. The sub-dominant is denoted by a diamond-tinted light red. The notes are marked from 1 to 7, running in rotation through the octave. When two harmonies occur upon the same note, double metals representing them are used.

1' indicates the key-plate, of metal, fastened to the back of .the carrying-bar A, and has the diiferentkey-signatures of music printed or stamped upon it, by which the note 1 indicates the key to which the notes on the instructor point on the false key-board D.

J is the knob by which the octave bar to which it is fastened with a screw, is more easily moved over the key-board.

I am aware that prior to my invention mechanical musical instructing-instruments have been made with one plate working upon another with key-indicator and colored-bars representing harmonies. I therefore do not claim such a combination, broadly; but I \Vhat I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A mechanical musical instructing-instru- 9 ment having a carrying-bar with end blocks and key-plate rigidly fastened to it and with 4 an octave-bar loosely attached thereto, the octave-bar provided with stamped, printed, or painted notes properly numbered, and with knob, substantially as set forth.

ARVIDE O. BALDWIN. Witnesses:

T. O. S. Coornn, W. T. DILLON. 

